Como’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League suffered a blow to Fiorentina in Serie A on Saturday.
Fiorentina won 2-1 at Como’s Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium with goals from Nicolo Fagioli and Moise Kean.
Late on Saturday, leaders Inter Milan hosted fourth-placed Juventus. If Inter win, they will play one more game than their city rivals and move eight points clear of AC Milan.
Como’s defeat came just days after they defeated Italian champions Napoli to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.
A great season meant they could have qualified for next season’s Champions League, but defeat to relegation-battling Fiorentina was a setback.
The day got even worse for Como as Champions League rivals Atalanta beat Lazio 2-0, moving up one point to sixth place thanks to midfielder Ederson’s penalty in the 41st minute and a second-half goal from Poland’s Nikola Zalewski.
Earlier, Fagioli put Como ahead in the 26th minute from close range after his initial shot was blocked. Keane scored from the penalty spot nine minutes into the second half.
Como created a number of chances as they looked to get back into the game and their pressure was evident when Fabiano Parisi fired into his own goal in the 77th minute. However, they were unable to score an equalizer and Alvaro Morata was sent off in the 89th minute, leaving the match with 10 men.
On Friday, Luka Modric scored the winning goal for AC Milan late in the game. 2-1 victory over Pisa.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
